Chapter 3: Guesthouse Shadows and Bloody Nights

I don see am—dem talk say dead camel still big pass horse.

Na truth. Even if palace scatter, prince still get something pass ordinary man. For Naija, if rich man fall, e still dey above ground. Suleiman prove am.

Prince palace don fall, but Suleiman still dey spend money.

Na small change, but e dey flex. E fit order for suya, pure water, anything. Sometimes I dey envy the swag, even as e down.

I no like rich people wahala.

All this their sense of entitlement. If you do anyhow, dem fit send you message. I just dey use sense, dey hold my ground.

Suleiman book better room, order hot water, bath, change cloth.

No be regular guesthouse, na correct room, tiled, neat. As I dey pour water, I dey think, "See as life be—yesterday na slave market, today better room." I dey help arrange e things, dey sweep small.

I dey serve am, e just throw me five thousand naira as reward.

E no even look me. As if na e right to reward me. For my mind, I dey laugh. Money dey make pesin form.

But this guy still dey guard himself.

No matter how I try, Suleiman no let guard down. For every smile e give, two frown dey follow. E dey hide many things.

E talk say na only small pocket money e get, e no fit pay me back the money I use save am.

The way e talk am, e soft. But e sure say I go accept. I just nod, dey reason how I go survive after.

Money to flex dey, but to pay debt, story.

Some people fit buy beer for everybody, but if you ask for your money, dem go say "No change." Na so e be.

No wahala, na debtor dey run things.

For this life, debtor fit ride okada, creditor go trek. Na debtor dey control.

E siddon near window, just quiet dey look candle.

For the night, breeze dey blow, candle dey shake. Rain dey threaten for sky, thunder dey rumble far. Suleiman face dey shadow, e mind far. I dey wonder if e dey plan something dark.

I dey reason say make e no go think say e wan kill himself o.

For this kain matter, some people fit do the unthinkable. I dey eye am well, dey ready shout if e act anyhow.

If Suleiman die, my money don loss be that.

Na money I dey remember. For Naija, if you save pesin, e mean say you invest. If e die, my own don go be that.

I gats console am.

I cough small, look away, try find words. For this kind wahala, I dey wish say I sabi how to counsel.

"See as everywhere don scatter—today prince fall, tomorrow na chief. Your own no too special."

I try talk am like joke, hope say e go lighten e mood. For this Nigeria, today you dey up, tomorrow you dey down. Everybody sabi.

"No worry, as long as ground still dey, firewood no go finish."

I throw in small proverb, the type wey my papa dey use when problem full ground. If e smile, e mean say my word enter.

"All those fine madams dey craze for you."

I try form like say I dey play. The market women wey dey chase Suleiman that day, e sure say if money land, all of them go come back.

"Later, just use your fine face, endure small, then plan your comeback."

Na so e be. For Naija, fine face dey open door. I dey try ginger am.

I no too sabi book, na so I dey try find wetin to talk to make am feel better.

If to say I go school pass, maybe I for talk better thing. But I dey try my best, with the little sense wey remain.

As I yarn this one finish, Suleiman finally move.

E shift small, like say e hear me. My mind dey at rest. I dey reason say maybe e go finally open up.

Maybe e ear wey no dey hear affect am, e just frown small.

E face squeeze small, I see as e dey struggle. Na this kain pain fit break pesin.

I lean closer, talk am again.

This time, my voice low. I touch e shoulder small, to show say I dey mean well.

"See am, na only ear you lose."

I point am. Try make e see say all never spoil finish.

I slow down: "If na your two hands dem break, na person go dey clean your yansh after toilet. If na leg dem break, na person go dey hold you make you piss. You for suffer well."

I dey use harsh truth. For this life, condition fit worse. I dey hope say my word go make am see reason.

E hear me well this time.

E eye flash, mouth shake. I fit see say pain dey go, small hope dey return.

E chest dey go up and down, finally e eye get small life.

For the first time, since today, e look me like say e dey see person.

Suleiman ask me: "How your grandpapa take convince my grandpapa make dem do our engagement?"

E voice small, but e mind dey search. E dey reason the past, dey try make sense.

I sigh: "I dey wonder too, why my grandpapa force this marriage? Apart from your fine face, wetin you get? Now one ear no dey hear, e even worse. Abeg, make we leave this matter. I come Jos to break engagement, na wahala I jam."

I shake head, for my mind, na true. As I dey talk, e pain me say our family wahala no dey ever end. This kain marriage no get blessing.

Suleiman look me well, voice cold: "Carry me go Makurdi, after that, everybody go dey their way."

E words cold, like harmattan morning. E no beg, e just command. I dey wonder if na pride or na pain dey talk.

I rub hand, talk small small: "Makurdi far o—na like two or three months journey."

Na true. Na long trek, na road wey no safe. Bandit, police, checkpoint everywhere. E go hard.

Suleiman hiss: "If we reach Makurdi, I go pay you ten times."

E voice stubborn. For Naija, money fit move mountain. I dey reason say e fit mean am.

I stand well, smile: "No be only Makurdi, even if na Osogbo, Ilorin or Owerri, I go follow you. Money no be problem, you be my fiancé."

As I talk, I dey try make light of the matter. If money dey, everywhere go set. The word 'fiancé' heavy for my mouth, but I talk am well.

As e hear that, Suleiman throw me one bundle of crisp new naira notes.

The thing land for my hand like cold ice block. I no fit believe say I go hold this kind thing today. For my heart, I dey sing.

"Anything you want, just talk." I hold the naira, smile dey shine for my face.

The light from candle shine for my teeth. I wan dance, but I hold myself. For this kain money, person fit sleep inside bush, no complain.

Suleiman just talk: "Abeg, keep quiet."

E voice tired, but I no vex. Na the money dey ginger me.

Suleiman use ten thousand naira take buy my silence.

I just dey smile. For this life, person fit quiet if money dey. Na so I zip my mouth, dey play along.

When food reach, I throw stone give Suleiman.

No be ordinary stone, na sharp play. E dey show say I no be ordinary girl. My style no dey regular.

E open eye look me.

E dey wonder, maybe e dey suspect me. But I no fear.

"Chop."

I order am, like say I be the madam. For this small moment, e dey look me, I dey look am. Street life dey show.

I carry roasted sweet potato from fire.

The smell dey sweet. For this kain journey, roasted potato na gold. I break am, throw the half go Suleiman side.

For the dark night, spark dey fly.

Breeze dey blow, fire dey catch. Night get chill, but fire dey warm us. Insect dey sing for bush.

The sweet potato, with the sparks, fly go meet Suleiman.

I throw am well, make e land for hand. Na street style, if you no catch, hunger go catch you. E catch am. I dey proud small.

I sharply draw arrow from my side.

I no slack. As I hear sound, my hand quick like person wey dey thief meat from pot.

Everything happen sharp sharp.

Na Naija we dey—danger fit land anytime. You no fit slack for road.

Na so I hear arrow enter body.

The noise loud for night, like person slap water for river.

Gbam.

The matter clear. My heart skip. For Jos, gbam fit mean anything. Tonight, na death. For this Jos, night wey snake dey pass, frog dey hide.

One dead body fall near Suleiman.

The body heavy, blood full everywhere. For Jos, blood dey smell like iron.

Blood splash for e face.

Na real horror. Suleiman blue cloth stain red. For night, the colour dey show more. I dey fear small, but I hide am.

Suleiman, with him blue cloth, just stand for night, fine face full of blood.

The kain beauty wey dey follow suffering na real strange. If you see am, you go fear, you go pity.

E resemble one kind blood spirit.

I dey remember all those old women story—how spirit dey waka for night, e face clean, but e hand dirty. For my mind, Suleiman don become legend.

I no fit hold myself, I whistle for am.

My whistle sharp, like Fulani herdsman for morning. I dey hail am for surviving.

Suleiman bring out handkerchief, dey wipe blood for e face, small small.

E no dey rush. E dey act like say na regular matter. For prince, even danger be show.

I waka come, pull my arrow, check the dead body.

I bend down, confirm say e don kpai. My arrow sharp, my hand strong. I dey proud, but I no talk.

"This work no easy," I talk. "This one na real street guy, hide for tree for half hour just to finish you. Only three days for road, see wetin we don face. You sure say we go reach Makurdi alive?"

My voice dey joke, but my heart dey pound. Danger everywhere. For Naija, life fit end anyhow.

Suleiman throw the bloody handkerchief enter fire, still dey calm: "I go pay more."

E voice cool, no fear, no worry. Na money e dey talk. For Naija, money na confidence.